Alyssa Stevens, Director of Social Media
Will Maslach, Paid Social Manager

Beyond the name, Threads, the new social platform developed by Instagram, has us thinking that social media is going to evolve just like fashion and revisit what was previously en vogue. We started with text-based platforms and then moved on to photos, long-form videos, disappearing photos, short-form videos, audio-only content, and then to a combination of everything. And now we’ve returned to text-based sharing on social media.

So, this begs the obvious question, is it time to break out the bell-bottom jeans?!

Since its launch on July 5, Threads has quickly gained popularity, amassing over 100 million downloads worldwide in less than a week. Through its seamless integration with Instagram, it offers users a fresh way to connect and share content, while also discovering new creators who share similar interests. With its strong launch, Threads promises exciting possibilities for brands and creators, but before you create an account and tap into the potential of the Threads community, here are five important things you should know…

You’ll Have a Built-in Social Following

One of the standout features of Threads is its integration with Instagram. By linking your Instagram account to create your Threads account, you can automatically extend your social following to the new platform. The app provides an option to follow the same users you do on Instagram, helping you to create an instant audience. But what if the user or brand you want to follow hasn’t made an account yet? Fear not! If you select them as an account to follow, it will automatically do so as soon as they decide to join the community. Threads also recommends creators for users to follow, blending content from followed users and recommended creators into the feed. Finally, to highlight the connection between Instagram and Threads, a badge can be displayed on your Instagram page to alert your followers that you are on the new app. This unique feature helps jumpstart your Threads journey by leveraging your existing Instagram audience.

Don’t Expect Stellar Search Functionality 

Currently, the search function on Threads is limited to finding other users. You can search for specific usernames, but the app does not support hashtag or topic searches at present. This limitation restricts the app’s functionality beyond scrolling the feed and looking up users. However, we anticipate that Instagram will expand the search capabilities of Threads as it gains traction and continues to evolve. 

You Can Keep Your Username and the Coveted Blue Check Mark

If you already have an established presence on Instagram, you’re in luck! Your username and verification status, including the oh-so-essential blue checkmark, will carry over to your Threads account. This means that you can maintain your online identity and credibility seamlessly when transitioning to Threads. It’s a great way to retain your existing audience and continue building upon your online clout.

There’s No Deleting Threads Without Deleting Instagram

Should you decide that Threads isn’t the right fit for you and want to delete your account, there’s a catch. Unfortunately, you cannot delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account. This move from Mark Zuckerberg is both sneaky and strategic, as it ensures the retention of the initial user base of Instagram while encouraging users to stay within the broader ecosystem.

No Word on Advertising Capabilities…Yet

As advertisers, on a new platform launch, we are chomping at the bit to start ads. While we haven’t heard anything from Meta HQ about ads integration or processes, the most likely path is for Meta to integrate Threads ad placements into Meta Business Manager. This would allow a seamless transition into advertisements on Threads for advertisers currently running on Facebook and Instagram by just selecting an additional placement. However, Meta may have other plans in store for ads on Threads – we’ll just have to wait and see…

As you consider joining the Threads community, understanding these key aspects of the app will help you make an informed decision. With its notable early success and adoption from major brands and news networks, Threads presents an intriguing opportunity to connect with others and share your content. We’ll be keeping an eye on future updates as Instagram continues to refine the app’s functionality and expand its capabilities. 

In the meantime, you can catch us thrifting those retro threads waiting for them to come back in style…

Alyssa Stevens, Director of PR, Social Media & Influencer Marketing

Attending industry conferences is like diving headfirst into a whirlpool of knowledge, surrounded by the latest trends and cutting-edge ideas. Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Influencer Marketing Show in the heart of New York City, where thought leaders, marketers, and influencers converged to discuss the ever-evolving dynamics of the creator economy. In this blog, I’ll share some of the key takeaways from the conference and discuss how they can help to shape the exciting future of influencer marketing.

Embracing a Creator-First Strategy 

One of the recurring themes at #IMSNYC was the significance of adopting a creator-first strategy. That means placing creators front and center in creative campaigns, social media initiatives, and even on brand websites. With estimates suggesting that over one billion people could identify as content creators by 2030, it’s high time brands recognize and harness the immense power of these influential individuals.

Riding the Wave of the Passion Economy

The creator economy, at its core, is a manifestation of the passion economy. People are monetizing their passions by creating content around the things they truly love. This phenomenon opens up exciting opportunities for brands to tap into these passions and leverage influencers to co-create content that resonates with audiences. By collaborating with influencers who are genuinely passionate about their niche, brands can deliver authentic, trust-building content that aligns with consumer interests.

Unveiling the “Why” Behind Your Brand

Before embarking on any influencer campaign, it’s essential for marketers to peel back the layers and uncover the true “why” behind the customer’s desire to engage with a brand. By understanding these motivations and aspirations, you can build influencer programs that best align with your target audience. Authenticity, relevance, and purpose should guide the creation of influencer campaigns that not only promote products or services but also connect with consumers on a deeper level. 

Don’t Miss the Free Information Exchange

Brands should view influencers and the comment section of their sponsored posts as a treasure trove of free information. By actively monitoring and engaging with the comment section, brands can gain invaluable insights into how their brand or product is resonating with their intended audience. This two-way communication allows brands to not only measure the impact of their influencer campaigns but also receive genuine feedback from consumers. Brands shouldn’t shy away from constructive criticism; instead, they should proactively address concerns and suggestions to demonstrate a commitment to improvement and customer satisfaction. By leveraging the comment section as a feedback loop, brands can strengthen their relationships with consumers, refine their strategies, and foster a sense of trust and transparency.

Connecting, Not Just Reaching, Gen Z

Marketing to Gen Z requires a whole new approach. It’s no longer about merely “reaching” them; it’s about connecting with them on a deep, personal level. This is where influencers come into play. Gen Z wants to feel like an integral part of a brand, and influencers can help foster that connection. By partnering with influencers who align with Gen Z’s values and interests, brands can forge authentic relationships that tap into this demographic. Building trust and nurturing a sense of community are key to capturing the attention and loyalty of Gen Z consumers.

The Influencer Marketing Show in New York City shed light on the evolving landscape of the creator economy and its impact on brand marketing. As brands navigate this dynamic environment, it is crucial to adopt a creator-first approach, tap into the passion economy, craft purpose-driven influencer programs, create a feedback loop on social media, and connect with Gen Z on a meaningful level. By incorporating these key takeaways into their strategies, brands can forge genuine connections, build trust, and harness the full potential of influencer marketing in the digital age.

Jared Smith, Assistant Media Planner

Advertising is undoubtedly a fast-moving, always-adapting industry that keeps you on your toes. Staying up to date with the latest trends is extremely important to ensure you aren’t left in the dust. That’s why professionals from across the digital marketing, media, and advertising industries gather each year for DigiMarCon, a conference that serves as an opportunity to learn from and network with industry leaders.

This year, I attended the conference with the Connelly Partners Media team. What made this conference even more special was that we were supporting fellow teammate and Associate Media Director, Erin Mullaney, who was speaking at the conference. Erin shared her wisdom with the Boston advertising scene during her session, “Elevate Your Media Strategy by Keeping Advertising Human.” 

As an agency built on being “Defiantly Human,” Erin spoke about what CP stands for and what the media team at CP is always striving to achieve. We are constantly digging deeper and assessing the incrementality that is being driven by our campaigns. After all, attributable results do not always tell the full story. Often it takes looking past the primary KPIs, and considering how media spend actually impacts the behavior of our audience. Erin alluded to a variety of ways to measure incrementality, ranging from test & learns to data science models and brand lift studies. All of these methods treat the exposed audience as a physical, decision-making, human being. They dive past primary KPIs and cluttered data, and into what actually tips the scale for a campaign. 

Erin provided many great examples including a mock campaign for Visit Las Vegas. Imagine that there’s an “old campaign” and a “new campaign” and the primary KPI is cost per visitor. The old creative is converting visitors at a much lower cost than the new creative, so just by looking at the primary KPI, it would make sense to shut off the new creative version and solely run the old one. However, by looking further into each post, it is clear that the new creative is generating an exponentially greater amount of comments and shares. These metrics, despite not being primary KPIs, are both examples of how the different campaigns are resonating with our audience. With these human actions in mind, we can predict that the new creative version will eventually perform better in terms of cost per visitor, as some of the people commenting and sharing the post will convert down the line. This example, albeit very simplified, shows how overlooked metrics can be extremely important in analyzing a campaign. 

In addition to Erin’s session, I enjoyed learning about content strategy with Tom Shapiro of Stratabeat. This session focused mainly on how to win with content and capitalize on creativity. Mr. Shapiro brought up a very thought-provoking point; most jobs do not give people enough opportunity to tap into their creative potential. Thinking creatively is something that is necessary for more than just the creative or content strategy teams at an advertising agency. It is something that should be done across all teams, a point that tied directly into Erin’s presentation. In media strategy, thinking past primary KPIs and tying pieces of the larger puzzle together is a form of creativity. This process of thinking is fluid and ever-changing, and tapping into creativity while working in media allows our entire team to be the best it can be. 

Having the opportunity to attend a conference like DigiMarCon, and learn each day from knowledgeable experts, has allowed me to grow in an industry that I am passionate about. Specifically, Erin’s presentation taught me valuable lessons about always looking past the surface and continuing to apply the Defiantly Human thought process in what we do here at CP for our clients.

Skye Stewart, Public Relations & Social Media Supervisor

According to a recent 2023 Travel Trends Report released by Hopper, travelers have significantly changed the way they’ve booked their trips in the “post-pandemic” world and it’s expected that they will be booking more last-minute travel than ever. Stemming from that, Hopper’s report has also found that travelers are more flexible when it comes time to book a vacation, and they are willing to go just about anywhere as long as a great deal is involved. So, how are they learning about these destinations? Today, millennials and Gen-Zers are primarily using social media to discover destinations and influencers are playing a key role in that.

Let’s dive into how and why influencers are game-changers for tourism boards and travel organizations by helping them drive awareness of their destination’s unique offerings.

Helping Consumers Uncover a New Destination Through a Unique Lens

By partnering with influencers and subject matter experts that align with your mission and goals, you’re offering potential travelers a firsthand look into what your destination offers before they book their tickets. During a time when cost concerns are prevalent, partnering with influencers who can showcase convenience and accessibility is important. Not only can they highlight activities, hotels, and restaurants in your destination, but they can also share how safe and comfortable they feel there. In addition to itinerary ideas and cost-saving opportunities, these are important items that help to create an experience they’ll enjoy–which forms a domino effect as they recommend their trip to others and share about it on social media.

Influencers Provide a Humanized Look Into Travel That’s Organic and Real

At the end of the day, we’re all guilty of a little (or a lot) of mindless social media scrolling, and let’s face it–entertaining travel and lifestyle content are some of our favorites. Consuming real-time footage of someone else’s trip on social media is much more personal than checking out a brand’s website, for example. Content that’s posted by influencers offers a real and unique perspective that you might not find anywhere else as you look to make your travel decisions. Posting in real-time also showcases more raw content that resembles what an average person’s trip may look like–allowing travelers to truly step into someone else’s shoes and picture themselves there.

As Travel Trends Change, so Does Your Destination’s Story

While we see travel habits fluctuate due to the world we live in, destinations can work with influencers to test the waters. In particular, influencers can help bring trends to life quickly and efficiently as a component of an entire ad campaign. For example, we know that wellness vacations are trending in 2023. With that in mind, what does your destination offer that can help someone rejuvenate and unwind? Whether it’s an itinerary curated with salt spas and massages or activities that help you spend time in the great outdoors, partnering with a niche influencer who values wellness and self-care can help highlight your destination’s story through a lens that ultimately provides a more personalized touch and experience.

Driving Positive Sentiment in an Authentic Way

Through influencer partnerships, not only are you raising awareness in general of your destination, but you’re also helping to build trust among your target audience by driving positive sentiment authentically. While potential travelers can see beautiful content captured by an influencer, they are also hearing honest opinions and reviews directly from someone who’s been there and experienced it. You can’t get any more candid than that!

While these are just a few of the benefits your destination can get by partnering with influencers, there are so many more. These are just the tip of the iceberg! To take it a step further, you might even consider providing your influencer partners with special deals or discount codes to offer their followers as a way to successfully turn wanderlust into actual travel. In the end, we’re all influenced by others’ recommendations whether we mean to be or not! Use that to your advantage and the possibilities are endless.

Want to learn more about our influencer marketing experience at Connelly Partners? Click here.

Image courtesy of Rio Travelers